Every Freemason should try to build his own personal Masonic library. The Gift Shop offers a variety of Masonic-related books, one being Freemasonry in American History by Allen E. Roberts. Mr. Roberts was a distinguished and prolific Masonic author whose love for the Fraternity is obvious in his writings.

Freemasonry in American History is a one-volume book that weaves the story of American Freemasonry into the history of the United States. It begins with a chapter on 18th century Masonry in England and some theories on its early beginnings. From there Mr. Roberts examines early colonial Freemasonry and proceeds to take the reader on a historic march through the American Revolution, the Anti-Masonic period, the westward expansion of this country, the Civil War and the ups and downs of the 20th Century ending in the early 1980's, as he introduces to the reader (to Masons and non-Masons) those who were an important part of our history.

Allen E. Roberts has written a book that is both readable and a valuable resource to any Freemason who is interested in history.

From the Library

The library has many books on the subject of Knights Templar from The Knights Templar (C.G. Addison), Dungeon, Fire and Sword (John J. Robinson) to the popular The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown). A book entitled The Knights Templar Chronology by George Smart has recently been published, which will help readers understand Templar History.

Mr. Smart has written a helpful resource in the form of a timeline of three centuries of the rise and fall of the Knights Templar. He has included maps of the areas in Europe and the Middle East where important Templar events occurred. Each chapter has a synopsis of the year's events starting with "Prelude to war" when Europe emerged from the Dark Ages and prepared for the Crusades, and concluding with chapter five, "Downfall," the Knights Templars' fall from grace and eventual demise. It is very informative to see what is taking place in the same year in different parts of the world.

The history of the Knights Templar will continue to intrigue and fascinate, and The Knights Templar Chronology will help with our understanding of events that took place centuries ago. This book and others are available in the circulating library. Request, read, enjoy!